Resistor Color Code Calculator
Resistor Color Code Calculator — 4, 5 & 6 Band
Decode resistance, tolerance, and temperature coefficient from color bands
| Color | Digit | Multiplier | Tolerance | Temp. Co. |
|---|
Instant Decoding
Resistance, tolerance, and the resistor diagram all update live as you change any band — no button needed.
4, 5 & 6 Band Support
Switch modes to decode standard, precision, or temperature-stable resistors with a third digit and tempco band.
Built-in Reference
Expand the table to see every color's digit, multiplier, tolerance, and temperature coefficient value at a glance.
Understanding Resistor Color Codes
How to Read Resistor Color Bands
A complete guide to decoding 4-band, 5-band, and 6-band resistors
A resistor color code is a standardized system of colored stripes painted onto the body of a fixed resistor to indicate its resistance value, tolerance, and sometimes its temperature stability — without needing to print tiny numbers on a component that may be just a few millimeters long. The system was standardized internationally and is still the most common labeling method for axial-lead carbon-film and metal-film resistors used in everything from school electronics kits to industrial circuit boards.
Each band occupies a specific position and represents a specific piece of information. Reading them in the correct order, from the band closest to one end of the resistor toward the other, lets anyone identify the exact resistance and the manufacturer's guaranteed accuracy without a multimeter, a datasheet, or a magnifying glass — though a magnifying glass does help with very small components.
For a standard 4-band resistor, the first two bands are significant digits and the third is a multiplier:
For example, Yellow-Violet-Red-Gold reads as 4, 7, ×100, giving (10 × 4 + 7) × 100 = 4,700 Ω, or 4.7 kΩ, with a tolerance of ±5%. On a 5-band or 6-band resistor, an extra digit band is inserted before the multiplier, so the formula becomes (100 × Digit1 + 10 × Digit2 + Digit3) × Multiplier, which allows three significant figures instead of two for tighter, more precise values such as 4.7 kΩ exactly rather than anywhere from 4.465 kΩ to 4.935 kΩ.
The most common type: two significant digits, a multiplier, and a tolerance band. Typically rated ±5% (gold) or ±10% (silver), suitable for general-purpose circuits where exact precision isn't critical.
Adds a third significant digit for tighter precision, usually ±1% (brown) or ±2% (red) tolerance. Common in metal-film resistors used in audio equipment, measurement instruments, and precision analog circuits.
Identical to a 5-band resistor plus a sixth band showing the temperature coefficient in ppm/°C — how much the resistance drifts as temperature changes. Used where stability under heat matters, such as in precision reference circuits.
The first two (or three, on 5/6-band parts) bands form the base number of the resistance, read left to right starting from the band nearest either end of the resistor body.
This band scales the base number by a power of ten — or, for gold and silver, by a fraction (×0.1 or ×0.01) — to produce the final resistance in ohms.
Set slightly apart from the others (often with a small gap), this band states how far the actual resistance may legally deviate from the printed value — for example, a true 4.7 kΩ resistor with ±5% tolerance could measure anywhere from 4,465 Ω to 4,935 Ω.
Found only on 6-band resistors, this final band specifies drift in parts per million per degree Celsius (ppm/°C) — a lower number means the resistor holds its value more steadily as it heats up.